WEEKLY DEVOTION

Are you thinking God’s way or man’s?

— “But when He had turned around and looked on His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Go behind Me, Satan! For you do not mind the things of God, but of the things of men.” Mark 8:33 (read verses 27-38)

Do you mind the things of God or of men? That’s an important question for us all to consider because it is so easy for us to fall into the trap of thinking in worldly ways even when it comes to the establishing of God’s Kingdom.

Consider Peter and the apostles of the Lord Jesus, His disciples and closest companions in this world. They recognized that He was the promised Christ - the Messiah and the very Son of God (cf. Matt. 16:16). Yet, when Jesus spoke of His coming sufferings, death and resurrection, Peter rebuked Him, saying, “This shall never be to You” (Matt. 16:22).

“But when [Jesus] had turned around and looked on His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Go behind Me, Satan! For you do not mind the things of God, but of the things of men.”

Peter, in this case, was the mouthpiece of Satan. Peter’s human way of thinking did not include the cross and the horrific sufferings and death of Messiah Jesus for the sins of the world. But, as Jesus taught His disciples both before and after His sufferings, death and resurrection, “So it is written, and so it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be proclaimed in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46-47). This was God’s way of establishing His kingdom, His way of saving us lost and condemned creatures and giving us life everlasting in His eternal kingdom!

This, of course, raises questions about many of the ways in which men seek to expand God’s kingdom - whether it be huge church buildings, church growth plans or all sorts of social ministries and activities. The question is this: Does it include the cross? Is the cross of Jesus still central? Are we still preaching and proclaiming Christ crucified for the sins of the world? Do we, like Jesus and all of God’s Word, proclaim that it was necessary for “Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be proclaimed in His name among all nations”?

Without this message as the center and focus of all we do, we may grow “churches” in this world but not Christ’s kingdom (cf. 1 Cor. 2:2). If we are not proclaiming Christ crucified as the center of all we teach and do, we are minding the things of Satan and not of God! Jesus rebukes us and calls us back to Him and to His sacrifice for the sins of the world. Only in Jesus and for the sake of His innocent sufferings and death on the cross can we sinners be forgiven and acceptable in God’s eyes (cf. Eph. 1:6-7). Jesus’ glorious resurrection is our hope and confidence of being raised up again to the glories of heaven (cf. John 14:1-6,19)! Without Jesus’ sufferings, death and resurrection, we have nothing! With it, we have everything!

Dear Lord Jesus, Son of God, Messiah and our Savior, grant that we heed Your rebuke and stay focused on You and Your sacrifice for the sins of the world. Amen.

[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture taken from Green's Modern King James

Version (MKJV), Copyright 1993 by Jay P. Green Sr., All rights reserved.]

News, Pages 4 on 03/07/2012